This term I am taking a class at Kaplan University called Research and Presentation. One of the topics covered was body language and I found the art of reading body language to be fascinating so I did a little research to satisfy my curiosity. Body Language is an unspoken language that speaks volumes about what we are thinking and feeling. Learning how to interpret what others are really thinking based on what they are doing with different parts of their body can be very revealing. The ability to be aware of another person’s body language can be a valuable skill in the business world or in our personal lives.
Body posture can tell you a lot about a person. The person sitting opposite you is either leaning forward with toes pointing toward you, or is facing you during your conversation; this person is interested in what you have to say. Someone who seems to smile with their whole face and may even reach out and touch you lightly on the arm is also interested in what you are saying. Have you noticed that someone you are speaking with is fidgeting, licking or biting their lips, is touching their mouth or face, may pick or bite their nails or hide their hands in their pockets – this person is feeling insecure or uncomfortable around you. The person who stands very close to you or leans into your personal space, who may squint or uses direct and unwavering stare or possibly tenses the jaw or jerks his or her head towards you is someone who is aggressive. Someone who sits or stands up straight, smiles, makes relaxed eye contact; keeps head up, makes solid and defined gestures, or has evenly paced gait with a slight happy bounce when walking is a confident person.
Body movements can also tell something about the person. Someone who crosses his or her legs and bounces or slightly kicks the foot is bored. Another bored person is one who places their head in their hand with their eyes looking downward. Do you know someone who frequently touches his or her hair, this person may be nervous, feeling insecure or lacks self-confidence. Tapping or drumming your fingers can portray impatience while steepling them (tips together) can signal someone who feels they are in authority. We’ve all seen the people who stroke their chin, we see these people as those who are making a decision about something.
Body language interpretation becomes important when we are interviewing someone for an important position in our company, are out on a first date, or are trying to find out if our spouse is cheating on us. These are all situations where being able to accurately detect what a person may be thinking by understanding what their non-verbal language is telling us can be useful in making decisions. It is especially important to be able to pick up clues from body posture and body movement when what is being said to us is a lie. We would love it if a red neon flashing light comes on right in the middle of the liar’s forehead. Barring that happening, being able to recognize some common body movements that may signal that the person is lying, may be just as telling a signal as that neon flashing light. Liars often avoid eye contact, blink more often, and may even rub their eyes. People while lying may also shrug, grimace or send conflicting body signals. I have also read that a person who is lying may have their pupils of their eyes dilated, though I am not sure how you will be able to get close enough to look into their eyes without them asking you what you are doing.
There is the Romantic Body Language that we can do with our eyes, pointing with our fingers or other body parts. We may also signal our romantic feelings with our bodies by how we preen when we toss hair, brush at imaginary lint from our clothes, or wet our lips. There are other body movements that portray our interest like leaning in towards the other person, or lightly touching them on the arm or face.
There are many professional people who need to be able to read body language: detectives, lawyers, and poker players. Actors and Actresses make an art form out of being able to speak with their eyes, and gestures. The mime solely relies on body language to tell others what they want or how they are feeling. Moms know that babies are nonverbal and so they must learn how to interpret what their baby needs based on what body movements the baby is doing as well as if the baby is crying or not. Facial expression can give clues as to if a person is surprised, sad, happy, or has eaten something very sour. We can learn a lot about a person by watching their body language. Lovers, spies, and your favorite late night detective all know that understanding what a person is saying with their body is perhaps more important than what they are verbalizing.
